My Family
by cakefic
Summary: PostRENT. Oneshot. Mimi and Roger's orphaned daughter reads to her Kindergarten class about her large, extended, Bohemian family.


**Title: **My Family

**Author:** MrS. LuCkY SpEnCeR

**Category:** RENT

**Genre:** General

**Rating:** K

**Summary:** PostRENT. One-shot. Mimi and Roger's orphaned daughter reads to her Kindergarten class about her large, extended, Bohemian family.

**Disclaimer:** RENT is mine, so are Cheez-It's, Post-It's, Trump Tower, and Poland Spring. No? Okay, well I don't own any of that stuff, actually.

**Author's Note:** I hate to kill off Mimi and Roger, but for the purpose of this fic…they're dead. Please review! No flames!

**My Family**

Little Gloria Davis' jaw dropped, as she looked up at the tall man.

"No way! You're pullin' my leg, Uncle Collins!"

Collins chuckled, as he walked with the little girl down the street, bringing her to her Kindergarten.

"Now, Gloria." Collins looked down at the green-eyed, six year-old brunette, who held his hand, "Would I lie to you?"

"No, but Auntie Maureen would never date Uncle Mark!"

Collins smiled, "I know. It's surprising."

"But," Gloria furrowed her brow, "Auntie Maureen doesn't like boys. That's what Daddy said! 'Cause she's with Auntie Joanne!"

"It was a long time ago." The anarchist shrugged.

Gloria's curly, brown hair bounced, and her blue, plaid dress swayed, as she skipped ahead, her hand still in Collins'.

_"She has your eyes." _Mark had told Roger, not long after Mimi died.

_Roger smiled at the sleeping baby in the crib, softly stroking the tufts of curly, brown hair that had recently grown on her head._

_"She has Mimi's hair."_

"What are you doing in school today?" Collins asked.

"We get to read our family picture books to the class!"

"Oh yeah? What are those?"

"Well, we drew pictures of people in our families, and Mrs. B helped us write about each person. I drew pictures of Daddy, and Mommy, and Uncle Mark, and you, and Auntie Maureen, and Auntie Joanne!"

"You're lucky to have that many people that care about you."

Gloria smiled widely, showing off all of her baby teeth.

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"Let's all give Anthony a round of applause!" Mrs. B told all the kindergarteners, as she looked over to Gloria, who was clutching her book.

"Would you like to go next, Gloria?"

Gloria grinned and jumped up, heading to the front of the class.

"My Family," she held her book in front of her, "by Gloria Davis."

She opened the book, and showed a picture she had drawn of herself.

"This is me, Gloria. I'm six years old, and I live in a _'dustial_ loft on Avenue B, with my Uncle Mark and my Uncle Collins. I was born on July 15th, 1993. I like to sing, and dance, and color pictures. My favorite color is pink, and my favorite food is Captain Crunch."

Gloria had drawn herself on the fire escape, wearing her favorite pink dress and a bright, red smile on her face.

She turned the page, and started to read again.

"This is a picture of my mommy. Her name was Mimi Marquez. I don't remember her, but I know was like from my Uncle Mark's films. She died when I was just a baby, 'cause she was HIV _positib_, like I am, and my Daddy was."

Mrs. B looked uneasily at Gloria and the rest of the students. She had forgotten about Gloria's illness, and she was unsure how the other children would react to this.

Did they even know about HIV and AIDS?

Penny Hall raised her hand from the front row on the floor.

"Yes, Penny?" Gloria acknowledged her.

"What does _HIV positib_ mean?"

"HIV means Human _Imoon_ Deficiency Virus. If you have it, your body can't fight off diseases and stuff that good, and you can get real, real sick."

"Wait," said Chris Sayers from the back row, "Did you say that you are _HIV positib_?"

"Yup." Gloria nodded and went back to her book, "My mommy was nice, and funny. She had very pretty clothes and she was a very good singer. Daddy used to say she was a good dancer too, but Uncle Mark doesn't have none of that on film."

Gloria had drawn her mother wearing a leopard-print coat, blue pants, and heels, that she had seen her wear in films and pictures. This was an outfit choice that made Mrs. B wonder.

Gloria turned another page, and turned her book to face her classmates once again. This picture was of Roger, with his guitar and his blue, plaid pants, a small smile on his face.

"This is my daddy, and his name was Roger Davis. He died last summer, 'cause he was HIV _positib_, too. I miss him a lot. He played guitar, and he used to play it for me before I went to sleep every night. My favorites were "Musetta's Waltz", and "Your Eyes", which he wrote for my mommy. Daddy was funny, even when he didn't try to be. He always…" Gloria paused, trying to hold back her tears. She missed him _so much_. He had been there her whole life, and all of a sudden, he was gone. She sniffled a little, before starting again, "He always told me that I had to live for today, no matter what."

Mrs. B's heart ached for the little girl. She had the same virus that had killed both of her parents.

"Now, this," Gloria started, "is Mark Cohen, but I call him 'Uncle Mark'. He is a filmmaker, and he's made a lot of documentaries. He's very nice, and funny, even if he is kinda quiet sometimes. He and my daddy were bestest friends. Uncle Mark's lived with us since 'fore I was borned. Me and him have a lot of fun. I go with him sometimes when he goes and films stuff."

She had drawn a picture of a scarf-clad Mark, holding his camera. She had captured his likeness so well, that it was haunting.

"This is Tom Collins, who I call 'Uncle Collins' He's very funny, and really, really smart. He teaches computer age _philarsony_ at NYU. Uncle Collins and I joke around a lot. He's got AIDS, which is kinda like what I have, and my mommy and daddy had. Before I was born, he had a girlfriend named Angel, who they say was very kind and pretty, but she died. He still talks about her, and misses her a lot."

Gloria showed the class her picture of Collins, jacket and all.

"Joanne Jefferson, my Auntie Joanne, is a lawyer. She's smart, and she wins all these cases, and stuff. I love my Auntie Joanne, like I love all my other family members. Auntie Joanne is quiet 'pared to everybody else, but she's so nice."

Joanne was rather dressed up in the picture Gloria had drawn, wearing the same white pantsuit she had seen in a picture.

"This is my Auntie Maureen, Maureen Johnson. She's Auntie Joanne's girlfriend, and she is LOUD, LOUD, LOUD! She told me to save her last, 'cause she's most interesting, but she was kidding. Auntie Maureen's really funny, and she has performances sometimes. She's a real good actress. She always sings me this song about a cow who told her to jump over the moon. Only thing to do is jump over the moon!" Gloria sang a little, while her classmates saw the picture she had drawn. Maureen's arms were thrown at her sides, she was wearing what appeared to be leather pants, and she had a very large grin spread across her lips.

"That is my family, and I love them very much. They're a lot _differnt_ from everybody else's, but they're mine, and they're the greatest family in the world!" Gloria smiled, as did Mimi, Roger, and Angel from the heavenly place where they were.

**THE END**

"Wait," Aaron Hughes looked at Gloria, "Your Auntie Maureen is your Auntie Joanne's girlfriend?"

**THE VERY END**

Please review, please don't flame!


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